Three officers say they will test for second-in-command job at Warren Police Department

Staff report

WARREN

Three lieutenants in the Warren Police Department will test for a vacant captain’s position Nov. 2 to replace Capt. Janice Gilmore, who has retired.

The department has two captain positions, which are just below chief. The other captain is Robert Massucci, who is in charge of the detective bureau.

The three who have expressed an interest in testing for captain are Martin Gargas, afternoon-shift commander; Jeff Cole, acting captain; and Greg Hoso, who has charge of the narcotics-related Street Crimes Unit.

Gilmore, who became a Warren police officer in 1989, retired Aug. 14 after 28 years with the department, including nine as captain.

In recent years, she was in charge of the road-patrol division, but she also was head of the detective division.

She also received numerous commendations for her work, including saving a man who was trying to commit suicide in 1996.

In 2015, however, Police Chief Eric Merkel disciplined her for her use of a pejorative term to describe Italians she uttered while meeting with members of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The comment was in reference to Massucci, who had just left the room but overheard the comment.

Meanwhile, 37 people are signed up to take the civil-service test for entry-level police officers Sept. 23. It’s the same number that signed up for the last test in the spring, though only 27 actually took that test.

Of the 27 who took the exam, the department hired five new officers. The police department is at 60 officers and wants to increase to 70.

The money to hire additional officers was provided by voters in November when they approved an income-tax increase.